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[INTERNATIONAL] · Yemen · 55 sources

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UN staffer Mohammad Al-Shami dies in Houthi custody

The United Nations has demanded an urgent, independent, and transparent investigation into the death of Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Shami, a staff member of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Yemen. Al-Shami had been held in Houthi-controlled prisons in Sanaa since June 6, 2024.

According to reports from the UN and Al-Shami’s family, he died more than a month before his family was officially notified of his passing. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed shock over the death, while High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the incident as a “devastating loss.”

The death marks the second instance of a UN employee dying while in Houthi detention, following the death of a World Food Programme staffer in February 2025. The UN has expressed grave concern for approximately 70 to 72 UN staff members and humanitarian workers who remain detained by the Houthi group. The group has previously justified such detentions by alleging that personnel act as spies for the United States or Israel.

Entities

Antonio Guterres · Houthi · Houthi group · Houthi militia · Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Shami · Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shami · Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights · Sana'a · Sanaa · United Nations · United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights · United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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